Catching Butterflies
by karashferd
Summary: Takes place about a week after Season 3 Episode 10. **Chapter 3 / The conclusion is now up***
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters nor do I intend to receive any form of profit from them.

Author's Note: Takes place after season 3 episode 10.

. . . . . .

"And that is the pitcher, he throws the ball to the batter and takes control of the game," Jane cooed the baby while watching the Red Sox early Sunday afternoon game.

Maura stood behind in the kitchen preparing a bottle, "Jane, I don't think he quite understands the concept and mechanics of base—"

"Shh!" She cut her friend off, "I'm teaching my nephew." The detective rubbed his cheek and smiled at the baby while Maura watched the interaction. She looked back to the youngest member of the Rizzoli family, "Auntie Maura just doesn't get it, Osler."

The ME approached silently and placed the bottle in the infant's mouth as she sat and took a seat next to her friend. She leaned over to rub the soft hairs around his ears while Jane positioned the formula between the nearly asleep baby's lips. With Maura's face pressed against her shoulder, the detective rested her chin on the woman's forehead. After a while of staring at the little boy and watching him dream, Jane felt the hitch in her friend's breathing indicating she too had fallen asleep. The detective smiled inwardly and peered at the sunrays crawling with warmth through the window in Maura's living room. Feeling the comfort encompassing, she closed her eyes and submitted herself to a subconscious state like the two surrounding her. _This, _the detective thought before drifting completely, _this is perfect._

Angela stalked quietly through the backdoor watching her daughter, daughter's best friend, and grandson napping on the couch all cuddled up. Her heart swelling with pride, she took her phone out from her pocket and snapped a few pictures of photographic proof that her daughter wasn't a complete affection castoff. "My babies," she spread a blanket on the three of them before walking toward the kitchen to prepare dinner, quietly. Every drawer and cabinet door was opened as if ticking time bombs were behind them. She found herself shushing the water draining in the sink and noise of the potato peeler.

When the sunlight was threatening to disappear from the window panes and dinner had been cooking for the last hour and a half, she tip toed over to the couch and sat on the opposite side of her daughter. "Baby, time to wake up," she whispered into Jane's ear.

With her years as a detective her response time had become refined, "hey Ma. Oh God, what time is it?" Her tone was low, but still managed to wake her best friend.

"It's nearly 7, dinner is just about done. Why don't you two wash up and I'll lay Ossie down in the crib before Tommy and Frankie get here." She had gently scooped up the sleeping baby boy from Jane's arms.

The detective exhaled a yawn while standing and grabbing Maura's hands to stand her up too, "c'mon, Maur."

There was a knock at the door.

"Oh you brothers must be on time for once! Being a new father and a new uncle must have tuned their internal clocks," Angela was delighted, gesturing for Jane to answer the door while she and Maura finished setting the table.

She cleared her throat and opened the brick red door, "Oh. Hi. Can I help you?"

An unfamiliar woman of medium height with long, stick straight, glowing dark brown hair and light blue almost green eyes spoke calmly, "I'm sorry to drop by unannounced like this, I didn't have a phone number to reach anyone but Lydia had this address written down in a few places around her bedroom," she shook her head and reached her hand out, attempting to start over. "I'm Eve, Eve Sparks…" the woman trailed off watching Jane's reaction. "I'm Lydia's sister."

Maura was now at the door and introduced herself and Jane while inviting the woman in. "Osler is sleeping now, but we are just about to have dinner. Please join us. I'm sure you're hungry." She nudged her friend out of the way and darted warning eyes at her to be nice until they hear what happened.

"Oh no, no, I couldn't impose like that, I just… Well I had some questions. And Osler?" Eve chimed her voice when saying the same, curious, confused, and standing in the doorway surrounded by mostly welcoming strangers.

"Osler is your nephew." Angela greeted the woman. "We sometimes call him Ossie for short."

"After the renowned father of medicine, William Osler?" The stranger smiled.

Maura put her arm around the woman of equal height to her and prodded her toward the table, "yes! How did you know?"

"One of my heroes," Eve mumbled.

With the front door still ajar, Frankie and Tommy walked right inside. Awkward introductions ensued and the Rizzoli family each separately mentioned them not knowing anything about her. Instead of all standing in the hallway, Maura refused to take no for answer and set a place on the table for Eve so that all of her questions could be answered.

"Well, thank you, I'm so sorry for imposing like this, I guess I wasn't paying attention to the time so much as remaining focused on my task at hand."

"I'm sure it was a long trip from… wherever you came from." Angela stated more as a question.

Eve sipped her water as she was anticipating rapid fire inquiries, "I just flew in from Florida, where Lydia and I were born. And where my sister has a habit of running off too…" She took a deep breath, "so to rule out any unnecessary interrogation," the stranger began while everyone ate, "Lydia used to live with my," she lowered her voice "now ex-wife and I" her voice raised to a normal tone, "in Florida until we found out she was sleeping with a father/son and I told her she had to leave in order to square things away with them and that situation as she was just finding out she was pregnant but had no idea who the baby belonged to. She said she was going to Boston to raise the baby with the father of her child. I heard from her about four weeks ago when she was living with our mother and she had mentioned all of you and how you took her in and how she was finally surrounded by loving people. I came in to visit her and our mother a few days before she went into labor to see if I could offer any assistance because I couldn't bear the thought of anyone having to clean up after hurricane Lydia passes through. I love my older sister to pieces, but she has a tendency to act rather impulsively and run, leaving behind hard pills to swallow." Eve took another sip of water. "I've actually always referred to her as Catching Butterflies—she sees something pretty, she goes after it forgetting what she has abandoned." She peered around at all the faces and mouths hanging agape. "I'm so sorry all of this has happened. I found the address to this home on a post it note in her bedroom and came here with a plan to meet all of you who she spoke so highly of, meet my nephew, and Angela…" she backed her chair away from the table, "Angela, I'm sorry she did this to you. I'm sorry this happened. Please tell me what I can do to make this better. Anything."

The Rizzoli mother looked this stranger right in the eyes as if to capture her true nature and intentions. She saw hope, trust, pain, morality, and believed what she comprehended. Wrapping Osler's new Aunt in a warm hug, the woman began crying softly into Angela's shoulder as she spoke, "please eat your dinner, dear."

After a couple mouthfuls of food had been digested by everyone at the dinner table, Jane decided to speak up. "So, Eve, have you heard from your sister since she left your nephew on the doorstep?"

"Actually, no. All I received was a text message saying she was going to Canada, she was going to change her number, and the baby could be found with the Rizzoli family." She swallowed her bite. "I received the message while I was at work and went to text her back and the number was evidently out of service by the time I got to it."

The detective leaned forward in her chair and placed her elbows on the table, "you don't seem worried." She announced, warranting several disconcerting looks from the dining room table.

"Lydia," she breathed, backing down from Jane's stance, "has always been harmless though flighty. She really is sweet…" a small hesitation crept from her lips, "but doesn't really think of the consequences of certain actions."

"We've noticed." Jane and Frankie mumbled in unison.

Eve placed her silverware down, "I'm really doing everything I can to find her. Call it sister intuition, but I've always found a way of tracking her down. I hate that she has done this to you all more than I can ever elaborate," she tried shaking the shame from her body, "and I will do anything and everything you need to me do to make this right."

After several more heartfelt apologies from the stranger, dinner passed with fewer and fewer questions dropped and became geared toward a case Jane and Maura were working on. When all plates were emptied and the table had been cleared, baby Osler woke calmly with a short cry and a couple small sniffles.

The Rizzoli family offered to do the dishes while Maura handled the introduction of Aunt and nephew.

"He's just over here in the sitting room, probably needs to be changed," the doctor led the way. "Have you ever changed a baby before?"

The guest shook her head, "no… I hope that doesn't make me a horrible pediatrician."

This elicited a giggle from Maura, "well it's quite easy, I'll show you."

They entered the room and Eve stopped dead in her tracks. She cupped her hand over her mouth to shush any noises that may have emitted, "he's beautiful." The words finally fell out.

Maura placed him gently on the changing table and guided Eve's hands in proper technique for changing an infant's diaper. She felt compelled to hug the doctor upon perfect completion but held back and shared a smile instead.

"Why don't you hold him while I make him a bottle? Use a gentle swaying motion to imitate his body's initial growth in the womb and keep him close to you for warmth," the medical examiner offered before exiting the room leaving Eve alone to properly acquaint herself.

As she approached the kitchen she heard the chattering of her adoptive family.

Jane had mentioned that they should wait it out and see what she finds with her search for her the baby's mother.

Frankie was expounding on his grudge toward Lydia, their father, and Tommy for that matter.

Tommy was questioning what Eve meant when she said "ex-wife."

Angela stood by, listening to their input and preparing hers. "I think she's good. She wants to do what's right but just may not know what it is. She wanted to meet him and I think that's really important to hear as a parent and grandmother, and I think we all need to stop badgering her."

Maura was preparing Ossie's bottle while Jane instinctively handed her the formula and placed her hand on her back before the doctor spoke, "I believe her actions to be genuine and natural. She is a pediatrician, so by nature, she is nurturing, calm, and has the ability to reflect that onto her patients and children alike. I think in that job category she comes across a lot of babies from broken homes and does not want to see it happen to this innocent child who is now her nephew."

"Thank you, Maura," Angela placed her arm around the doctor before she retreated to bring the bottle to Eve to show her how to hold it.

As she left the banter of the Italian family in her kitchen and neared the room with the Aunt and nephew, she heard a faint humming noise with a melodic tune. The medical examiner pursued on the tip of her toes and listened at the doorway.

"Can anybody find me somebody, somebody, somebody… can anybody find me somebody to love," she purred the styling's of Queen into the baby's ear while rocking back and forth.

Maura felt bad for interrupting but Osler needed to have his bottle while he was falling back to sleep. She provided careful instructions for how to hold the baby while feeding him and why burping would be necessary once he was finished. "You want to do soft but prompt upward motions with minimal resistance," she stood behind Eve, "here, like this." The doctor made the motion across the woman's back and after a few rotations felt the woman ease into her hand.

The composed calmness in the room silenced the approaching footsteps as Tommy stood in the door way. "Ladies," he stepped in, "is my son ready to go to sleep for the night?"

The ME shuffled over to the new father, "just about, we'll bring him out with his blanket in just a moment. Could you send Jane in here?" She watched Tommy nod and walk away before collecting Osler's blanket and folding it.

"How long have you two been together?" Eve whispered while patting the baby's back like the doctor had showed her. This provoked an inquisitive look from the host. "You and Jane?"

On cue Jane stalked into the room and kissed Osler's head peering over Eve's shoulder before turning to Maura, her grin beaming disco lights in the room, "you rang?"

"Yes, will you help me fold this up?" The doctor uncharacteristically stammered her sentence.

The detective noticed and chose to save her question and helped her friend fold up the playpen while Eve rocked the baby to sleep. "Maur, my ma is insisting that Eve stay the night since it is getting late. Is that okay?"

"Of course," they looked at the not-so-stranger-anymore, "the guestroom is prepared."

The new aunt put on a puzzled look and darted her eyes between the two while Jane motioned to take the baby, suggesting it was his bedtime and Angela and Tommy were getting ready to call it a night. Tommy had taken up residence in the guesthouse once again to save money upon Maura's insistence. The women bid their goodnights to the baby while Jane withdrew from the sitting room, Ossie in her arms.

"I can't stay," Eve declared. "I absolutely cannot. I have already imposed enough; I can get a hotel for the night and figure out my next steps regarding my sister's whereabouts."

Maura waved her off, "Angela's persistence will win every time, and so will mine. Please, do. There's no imposition. This family has a way of wrapping their loving arms around you and I've found myself doing the just the same. Please stay, I know it will mean a lot to everyone if you do."

Eve breathed heavily, sucking the air from the room, "I feel awful. You have all been wonderful and I thank you so much for dinner, but I really shouldn't overstep my boundaries."

"You're family now, there's no overstepping. Please." Maura ushered them to the loveseat to continue this conversation.

Her eyes began to well up and the doctor paid close attention to her movements, "you are all so close to one another; Angela at the head of it all, you and your partner a close second—it's a blessing to see. I love and I appreciate all that you're doing for my nephew. I hope you know that."

Maura patted the woman's knee with a smile playing on her lips, "Jane isn't my partner. She's my best friend. And yes, I am very grateful that this family accepted me with such open arms. Angela is the mother I have always wanted."

Eve tossed her abashed hand over her face, "oh gosh, I'm sorry. I thought you two were together."

With her head tilting to the side, the doctor probed, "what would give you that impression?"

She cleared her throat with her body still in dismay. "I suppose it's just the way you interact with one another. The little things, mainly," she paused.

Jane was reentering the room less quiet than before, "Frankie said goodnight, he's on his way home." She announced to the room. "Oh, and Maur, your wine is chilled, my beer is cold, how about the three of us have a nightcap and we can shower Eve with questions and get her drunk enough so she can't drive to a hotel or I'll arrest her."

This comforted the occupants of the room with laughter and the detective reached down to offer Maura her hand for stability when standing and her gesture was denied. Jane brushed it off and her high spirits brought them to the living room where glasses and beer bottles were on display. "I sort of figured you for a beer drinker, Eve," she handed her a bottle with a smirk on her face.

"You figured correctly, detective," the woman shared a smile and stalked slowly over to the couch gazing at paintings and pictures on her way there.

Jane turned to her friend who she was sensing a strange vibe from, "Maur," she placed her hand on her back and began rubbing circles across the fabric, "you okay?"

The doctor leaned into her hand and assured her she was fine. This movement was so subtle and so graceful it could have easily gone unnoticed.

"So, Eve," they approached her and took a seat on the couch while their guest sat in chair, "what do you do, how old are you, what's your favorite thing to do, do you do drugs…" Jane let her train of thought get the best of her.

"Wow, okay," she positioned herself a bit more comfortably in the overstuffed chair, "pediatrician, 27, read, run, write, travel, and firm no to drugs."

"You compose yourself very well for someone in their late twenties. I'd be guessing, but I would have to say it may have something to do with an abrupt and interrupted childhood. Typically the child with the most seniority has a greater chance of putting their life back on path."

Eve leaned forward on her seat, "it wasn't necessarily putting my life back on path, it was just watching too many people ahead of me screw up along the way. I can say the one lesson they did collectively teach me is to not follow in their footsteps."

Jane shifted her weight on the cushion while taking a swig from her beer, "your wife…" she paused letting the thoughts, moments, and flashbacks wash over the woman across from her. "What happened there?"

She let the uncomfortable question toy with the pillows on the chair, the fabric of the upholstery, and the words fighting to jump out of her mouth. "Unsupportive. I guess that word sums it up more than anything."

The detective nodded watching the ease in the woman's body leave, "it's fresh," she speculated and was rewarded with a nod, "I'll drop it."

"So, Eve, I have a question," Maura perked up, causing a sense of nervousness in the room.

"She's blunt, you've now been warned. Continue, Maur." Jane chuckled receiving a playful evil glare from her friend.

"Were you predisposed to homosexuality as a child or do you believe that your attraction to women was something you were born with? A handful of studies have been indicated that homosexual tendencies are generated at birth."

"I had a feeling that where this was going," Eve laughed, welcoming the question. "Honestly, I wasn't exposed to much as a child that I didn't bring about myself, I do however believe I was born this way just as you were born with hazel-colored eyes. I can deny my own sexual identity like anyone can with numerous self-attributes and identifying qualities but I never hid from it. I came out at a young age and didn't center my life on or around it, I explored and set up camp, sure, but never made that the feature of myself."

Jane rustled a snort in her chest, "it would basically be like introducing myself as Jane Rizzoli, tall, lanky, brunette."

A few more laughs scattered around the living room until they all decided to call it a night. Nearing midnight, the detective checked all locks and doors to ensure they were intact before going to sleep.

Eve was accompanied outside by Maura to retrieve her bag from the rental car, "I'm sorry I insinuated you and Jane were a couple. I feel pretty foolish."

The doctor breathed in the cool air outside and shuffled her steps, "please don't be apologize. It was an honest mistake." She watched the woman dig keys out of her pocket and pop open the trunk to get her suitcase out which she had intended on doing at a hotel prior to the persistence of the medical examiner walking next to her. "I find sexuality to be fluid. I'm attracted to whomever I'm attracted to. I don't limit that to a certain sex—it is all chemistry and character for me."

Eve slammed the trunk shut and pulled her suitcase around to the driver side to remove her glasses from the visor, "I can certainly understand that," she winked at the doctor.

"I find you quite intriguing actually. And you're so young."

"Jane was right, you are blunt." She began wheeling her suitcase inside as Maura showed her around the guestroom.

The ME bid her a good night and stalked off to the kitchen where she was sure Jane had been hiding. She walked around the corner and didn't see her friend and decided to call her names a few times. She heard rustling on the sofa in living room.

"Jane, what are you doing?"

The detective giggled. "You gave the guestroom to the actual guest, so I'm sleeping on the couch."

"Get up." Maura insisted and walked to her bedroom with Jane following.

***Part two will be up shortly!***


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, except for Eve, she's my Frankenstein, I created her.

Author's Note: Takes place immediately after the first chapter. Also, I apologize for any grammatical errors—I did not revise this a fine tooth comb as I wanted to update the story quickly.

. . . . . .

Maura tried to roll her friend out of bed next to her, "you're kicking and you have no dog on the bed to blame it on."

With her eyes still shut, her dimples sound, "I wouldn't say there isn't a dog on bed…" she giggled.

"If you're implying I'm of the canine genus I would say you are horribly misinformed."

The doctor's comment caused Jane to shift her weight toward her accompanying a yawn, "what time is it?"

"It's your turn to make the coffee," Maura playfully shoved the detective.

One single mention of the caffeinated beverage had Jane jumping out of the bed and hopping toward the kitchen. The medical examiner flattened out the quilt on the bed and fixed the pillows before shadowing her friend. She paused behind her and peeked in through the kitchen where Angela was talking with Eve. Jane gave an indicating 'shush' with her finger to lips so they could listen.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" The Rizzoli's mother addressed Eve.

She sipped a mug of already made coffee, "a little—I'm not much of a sleeper. Though I did experience a great deal of comfort, Dr. Isles has a lovely home and the guestroom is nicer than my entire apartment."

Angela laughed knowing exactly how she felt, "she sure does."

"She's a lovely woman, and in wonderful company. I can't thank you all enough. But I would really like to do something to express my gratitude…" she took another sip and watched everyone's mother figure swat at the air as if it was unnecessary.

Behind the wall, Jane shrugged her shoulders to Maura and they walked in.

"Good morning babies," Angela greeted them and was acknowledged with warm smiles.

"Eve, Jane and I are going to go for a run in a little bit just before we have to head into work if you would like to join us?"

She watched her guest's eyes widen, "I'd love that."

The detective's face sank, "me too. But damn, I have to do a thing, so, have fun you two!" She hurried from the kitchen with her coffee in tow.

Angela rolled her eyes at the back of her daughter's head as she scurried out of the kitchen. Maura looked to only other person left in room inquiring when she would like to go. This was received with a coffee-chug and a 'let me go change' pace to the guestroom. The doctor too left to change and they met up near the front door while Jane flipped through channels on the television, drinking coffee.

. . . . . .

"I think I'm going to go home tonight," the detective mentioned over a corpse in the middle of an autopsy. "It's been about a week, I'm running out of clothes, and my guestroom will be occupied for, wait, how long is she staying?"

Maura lifted her scalpel from the victim's torso consuming the former comment about leaving like a bag of rocks, "she keeps insisting that she is going to stay at a hotel until she can track down Lydia. I'm afraid she may have left with Angela this morning and checked in somewhere."

Jane crossed her arms picking up on her tone in all the wrong ways, "why are you afraid she may or may have not done that?"

The doctor peeked at her friend through her protective eyewear, "because she would be alone when there is a home full of people and her nephew and it would alleviate her having to go back and forth so much." She wasn't referring to Eve.

A crooked grin escaped the detective's face, "is that it, Dr. Isles?"

The ME rolled her eyes at her friend not being able to comprehend her advances. Before the doctor could answer one of the crime scene investigators walked into the room with a large file in is hand, "we found high traces of THC in the victim's tox screen." He handed the file to Maura and Jane moved around the autopsy table to confer.

"So she had to have been killed in the last six to twelve weeks," she took the file from the medical examiner, suggesting she was going to share the found information with Korsak and her partner, Frost. "Meet you in a few for coffee?" The detective didn't wait for a response before she was off toward the elevator.

Maura was already snapping her gloves off thinking she could get a head start to the café and relax for a few minutes until Jane was at her side. She casually slipped in through the door and began dispensing her coffee when she heard her name called.

"Dr. Isles?" A familiar voice sounded behind her.

"Eve," she spun around, "what are you doing here?"

The woman stood up looking somewhat frazzled holding a notebook, "well, I got busy this morning looking for my sister and there are a few possibilities that I wanted to share with you guys."

Maura placed a cap on her coffee, paid Angela and provided a wink and a smile. She turned back to Eve, "have you checked into a hotel yet?"

She flipped open the papers in her hand and sat back down, "no, I made my reservation though."

The doctor took this information to heart and instead of commenting at the moment, decided to hear Eve through. Her cell phone sounded just as she took a seat at the table with the younger Sparks sister. Her eyes scanned the text message indicating Jane was going to track down a suspect and wouldn't be able to meet for coffee just yet.

"I wish you'd stay. You are more than welcome to and much to your disagreement no one thinks you are imposing." Maura sipped her coffee diligently and noticed smaller features on the woman's face in the exposing fluorescent lights. Her eyes seemed lighter, her skin had more of warm peach tone she couldn't pick up on in the dimmer lighting of her home, not to mention she had eyelashes for days.

Eve looked up from her pad of paper and caught the medical examiner staring at her, "if you insist, Dr. Isles," she paused, noticing Maura eyes were scanning the structure of her face, "but only if you let me treat you to dinner."

The doctor smiled not comprehending what she was just asked. She tasted her bitter coffee again and collided with the realization of her request. "Oh," she blushed, "that would be fine. If that's what makes you feel better about staying in the guestroom in my home, than it's a small price to pay." The ME repositioned herself in the chair with the new giddy and timid tone in her body. "So what have you found out about your sister so far?"

Eve went on to explain she may know where she is headed in Canada—they have a childhood friend out there that Lydia was always close to and usually sought comfort with her and her family. Earlier that day she had called their mutual friend to give her heads up and to make sure she is informed of her sister's arrival in the next couple of days. Maura was intrigued with this and wondered what she planned to do if she found her. To her surprise, Eve declared she was going to take her home, get her an apartment in Boston so she can help raise her son because she is not going to skip out like their family had done.

After her coffee break, the ME mentioned she needed to be getting back to work but she would be finished up around eight in the evening. Eve stood with the doctor to whom Maura noted with great form and etiquette.

"I'll pick you up around eight then, if you're not ready, please don't rush. I understand you're a very busy woman just as I am a very patient one." She smiled pleasantly at the doctor which she reciprocated.

"Sounds lovely," she began as she walked off with her free, un-coffee-wielding hand in her pocket, "it's a date."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah, I don't own anything regarding Rizzoli & Isles nor do I intend to gain profit from playing with them, blah, blah, blah.

Onto the good stuff now.

. . . . . .

"Why do you seem so frantic right now?" Jane posed over a corpse with her arms folded across her chest. She had just witnessed her friend rushing through sentences and staring at her watch. "Got a hot date tonight, Maur?" She laughed, waiting for the doctor's response. Nothing. "Maur? Do you have a date tonight?" The stern look in her eyes gave Jane all the answer she needed. "Who is it? What 'John' is it this time? We've hung out every single night for the past two weeks and I don't recall you mentioning anyone…" The detective was growing frustrated but attempted to play it off as casual curiosity. "You're going to get a nasty case of hives if you don't—"

"Eve," Maura began, cutting her friend off, "invited me to dinner as a thank you for letting her stay in the guest room last night."

The name had the detective stepping backwards to allow room for understanding. She opened and shut her mouth several times not sure what to stay. Anger, aggravation, and a side of disappointment crashing through her bones like needles. "Okay," was all she could think.

The medical examiner stood up straight, "okay?" She observed signs of irritation creeping across her friend's face and hurt in her eyes. "Is that okay?"

Jane started toward the morgue doors, "you're a grown woman Maura and you don't need my permission. I'm going to go talk to Frost and Korsak about this case."

"Jane… Jane?" She watched the detective walk away to hide in the elevator with her eyes glued to the floor.

She reached the main floor and immediately walked outside to her car and drove. She stood idle at a red light and stared out the driver's side window gazing at the stars. She suddenly thought of all those cheesy songs she used to make fun of and things started making sense to her. Unsure of what she was feeling and where she was going, she ended up at the guesthouse where her mother currently was. A simple knock on the door and Angela already knew something was up.

"What's wrong baby? Where's Dr. Isles, is she okay?" She hugged her daughter.

Jane walked in the door and sat down on the loveseat with her mother, "Maura is going on a date tonight." Struggling to digest her thoughts she continued, "with Eve."

"But I thought you two—" Angela cut herself off, "never mind, not my business," she mumbled.

Her ears rang slightly, "what's none of your business?"

"Oh, you two, I thought you were… you know…"

The detective let this sink in for a moment and fully comprehend the short, staggered words. "Oh." She hesitated. "Oh. Ohhhh. Ma!"

. . . . . .

"I usually just boil it all down to my singing You Can't Hurry Love by The Supremes at our wedding. I think that's where it all started going downhill for us." Eve sipped her wine and stared at the woman across from her.

Maura laughed at her story, "so karaoke ended your marriage?" She swirled the red spirit in her stemmed glass before looking back up, "that's devastating… For karaoke."

Throughout stories passed back and forth there were only casual, tapping touches of the arm and playful grins. The two women shared a few light-hearted laughs back and forth and the doctor found she was genuinely enjoying the woman's company but remained guarded throughout dinner and drinks as if she had a million secrets trying to climb through the walls of her body. She had barely nibbled at the food on her plate and only downed a few sips of her wine. Eve had sensed this as just nervousness and decided they could put an end to the evening because they had each had long and draining days, Maura more than her, she noted aloud. She suggested she walk the medical examiner back to her car that was parked down the street to which she agreed.

"Are you going back to your hotel, Eve?" Maura swung her purse back and forth while strolling down the street in her designer stilettos without a hitch in her step.

The pediatrician had anxious hands in her pockets and was staring at the street, she peeked up at the blonde from the corner of her eye, "yeah, I think it'd be inappropriate if I stayed over tonight."

It took crossing the street for the doctor to understand what she meant. Instead of saying anything in response she kept her mouth snapped shut.

They had reached her car and Maura unlocked the door while Eve scurried in front of her to open it for the refined woman. "I had a nice time, thank you for joining me," Eve held the car door ajar, her eyes twinkling at the doctor's.

Noticing the change in here facial muscles tone of her eyes, the medical examiner felt exposed and apprehensive. She quickly mentioned, "I did too. And thank you for dinner." So to not be rude, she kissed the woman on her cheek and hopped in the car. With her door still opened, she added, "please come over soon to see Osler."

Eve tucked her lips in and pressed them together, understanding finally, "yeah, I will." A polite smile from each woman permitted Maura to shut the door.

The ME began driving down the street and watched the modest steps of her date walking away. Her shoulders were relaxed, slumped in a way. Maura thoughtfully hoped she hadn't let the woman down too much. There was just nothing beyond the initial flirting for her other than friendship. She thought the woman was sweet and funny and made her laugh. She was aesthetically pleasing to the eye, calm with the ability to make those around her feel at ease, sophisticated, and very well-mannered. It wasn't because she was a woman, her sex had nothing to do with it—she had been attracted to the same gender before and never thought twice. Her mind racing, she was soon realizing what this was all about. She stepped on the gas and zipped down the streets of Boston. Streetlights passing her windows like quick ideas, yellow lights were beacons for acceleration, and red lights never stood a chance.

Practically jumping through her front door, she saw Angela sitting at the island in the kitchen reading quietly. Composing herself, she smiled at her, "Is Jane here?"

She looked up, disappointed in the woman at first, but when she was asked about her daughter, a small beam shone on her face, "she just left, not even two minutes ago."

Maura closed her eyes and looked down before racing back out of her home.

Returning to the streets, speeding, screeching to stops, scanning the road ahead of her, watching rain droplets begging to form on her windshield, she spotted the cruiser. A simple flash of the headlights, a light honk, and the point was taken.

Jane pulled her car over and stepped out, lifting her blazer over her to shelter her from the rain. Maura jumped out and met her halfway. Having rehearsed a dozen different things to say to her friend she just stopped and stared. The detective let her jacket drop so they would both be matching and damp from the water coming down on them.

"What the hell, Maur?! What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

The doctor moved so that she was now a few feet closer. "I'm sorry, Jane."

"Sorry for what?"

Their hair had moistened all the way through now but neither were paying attention to the growing rain showing coming down on them. The detective watched her friend step another couple feet closer to be heard through the curtain of rainfall. "For going out on a date with Eve…"

"Maur, you don't have to apologize for that." Jane dropped her shoulders.

Without her control, alarm and overwhelm came over her body. She was crying. "Yes, I do."

The brunette reached out and put her hands on either side of her shoulder, gripping tighter around the soaking material. "Maur…" With just the mention of her name, the doctor's body went limp in her friend's arms. "What's wrong?"

"I just," she had no words.

"You what?" Jane spoke softly.

"I think I'm," she stopped herself.

The taller friend lightly pulled the blonde away so she could at her. She scanned her eyes and scrutinized every inch of her face. "Maura?" The detective's husky voice sounded.

"Jane…" hesitation and reluctance amazed her body.

Her hands slid up to either cheek and her back arched to keep the doctor looking at her so she could read her, "tell me what's wrong." She whispered.

Maura rested each of her smaller hands around Jane's wrists. "I can't," she cried.

Jane looked through her, around her, the puddles forming around them, the damp pavement, their hazard lights flashing like strobe lights. The weight of the rain between them was too much to hold. She slowly brought the doctor closer, keeping her eyes pinned to those across from her, inching tighter together. Jane lifted her friend's chin looking for approval. She leaned down and pressed her lips delicately on Maura's, awaiting a response. Tension had fallen from her shoulders and the doctor grabbed her friend's completely saturated blazer at the lapels and tugged her allowing their lips to move together with luxury and comfort. Jane's arms were wrapped around the shorter woman's waist as her lips danced across her friend's.

The downpour was easing up and without letting go of one another, Jane peeled her head back for a moment to catch her gasp. She looked to her Maura. "Finally," she breathed.


End file.
